How it Works
Biodiesel fuel is produced from the transesterification of animal fats, vegetable oils, and used restaurant grease (see CI#4 for more information on that!). All of these substances have fat in them, and that is what makes the fuel. Transesterification is a process in which the fat is purified and then mixed with an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol. A catalyst is present for this step, usually potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. The alcohol and catalyst turn the fat into esters and glycerol which is the biodiesel fuel.
Who will use it?
Biodiesel is usually used for markets that require a cleaner-burning, biodegradable fuel. It can be used in cars as an alternative to diesel. Vehicles that already use a diesel gas tank can usually switch directly to biodiesel, or in some cases they may need to slightly modify their diesel engine.
Benefits
Biodiesel is relatively inexpensive to produce, therefore making it an economical choice. It is a cleaner-burning, non-toxic, biodegradable fuel that is renewable; it releases less air pollutants than petroleum. Biodiesel is also the safest fuel when it comes to storage and handing. It still provides high efficiency.
Drawbacks
Glycerin is a main byproduct of the transesterification method. Currently biodiesel is more expense than petroleum diesel. It does not receive as high gas millage and power. Fuel that is 100% biodiesel does not work well in low temperatures, so this would reduce the locations and times that the fuel could be used.
Overall
I think that biodiesel sounds pretty promising. Once again, it’s nice to be able to take waste and turn it into something useful. It seems to be one of the cleaner options as well. As with most of the other alternative fuels, if they can just find a way to make it cheaper and more efficient, it would be golden.